Pfungwa Nyamukachi

Fake News! Why the voices of science must rise

The fake news era has made it absolutely critical for academics, researchers and scientists to escape the ivory tower and engage with audiences outside traditional peer-to-peer communities. The ubiquity of the Internet, social media and other digital developments have greatly facilitated access to information across the continent, providing much-needed information and data for African citizens…. Read More

Can the glove fit? My take on the African university rankings debate

University rankings always generate huge interest globally. The so-called winners turn them into marketing fodder to attract talented students and staff, and the ‘losers’ plot how to improve their rankings in future years. Before this year, Africa was the only continent whose universities did not feature in global leagues tables. However, in July, Times Higher… Read More

Conference season for African research managers begins!

May is a bustling month for African research managers as they review their past year’s performance, and strive for excellence, relevance and increased support from governments. What’s more, it also marks the beginning of conference season. The Southern African Research Innovation Association (SARIMA) and the Central Africa Research Innovation Association (CARIMA), two of Africa’s four… Read More

Beating the first-time jitters: How to write a winning research grant proposal

Banothile Makhubela, a 30-year-old chemist, postdoctoral research fellow and lecturer at the University of Cape Town, won her first grant last year. It was a R500,000 (US$43,500) career-advancement grant from the National Research Foundation of South Africa that will help fund a five-year research project that she leads. The grant will be released in annual… Read More